Absolutely Barking: Adventures in Dog Ownership

by Michele Hanson

The world of dog ownership in Britain has always attracted a good number of enthusiasts - some would say eccentrics - who are passionate about their pets. Whereas in previous decades owners had only dog obedience classes and dog shows to cater for their interests, there is now a huge industry offering a wealth of canine-centred activities, such as extreme grooming, dog dancing schools, luxury dog spas and bespoke designers offering a baffling choice of pet accessories. Our dog population is now bigger than ever, and Dog World is far more complicated than it seems from the outside. It is a world of extreme competition, slavish devotion and delicate protocol. What do you do when your hound gets inappropriately frisky with a fellow dog-walker's pet? Who has right of way on the towpath between a jogger and a greyhound, and what kind of cake do you bake for a puppy shower? Popular columnist Michele Hanson conducts a hilarious and fascinating investigation into the British and their dogs across all walks of life - from the pampered pooches of suburbia to the bad-boy breeds of the urban zone - and meets owners across the spectrum of delightful, bizarre, aspirational, ghastly and just plain crazy. Absolutely Barking is not only a book for dog-lovers; it is also a uniquely witty insight into an aspect of British life that is more popular than it has ever been.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Dogs

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2013

Reviews

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the first part of this book I was stand-offish and judgemental. The author – female - weighs ten and a half stone and has two boxers at 4 stone each. Control is an issue. She often finds it easier to take them for a walk one after the other. And one of the dogs has to wear a muzzle because it rough and tumbles smaller dogs, occasionally taking a nip. Caesar Milan would definitely not approve. For the first hundred or so pages I was clicking my tongue censoriously.

But then I relaxed: her honesty about her shortcomings, her deep love of dogs, and her intelligence and insight were beguiling. More specifically I was also very touched that she made mammoth efforts with one of her dogs to ensure that as a puppy it didn’t get its tail docked. ( It’s illegal to dock tails here in the UK now, but this is was obviously before the laws changed). She also went to doggy boot camp to try and make herself and her dogs more functional (that’s a kind way of saying less dysfunctional).

I also liked the way she looked at the dirtier side of the dog world. She's actually a journalist for The Guardian, and is obviously comfortable asking difficult questions. Her mullings included the often horribly cruel world of puppy farms; and the ludicrous breed specifications that places like the Kennel Club give out , and places like the Crufts Dog Show encourage – often leading to severe health problems in pure bred dogs. It was good seeing these issues being given an airing.

Most of all though the book is about the awesome, cranky, crazy, lovable, and eccentric world of Michele and her doggy friends. The people she meets in the park, in the local dog café and at community (mongrels welcome) dog shows. If you are not gooey about dogs this book is probably not for you. For instance the dogs never go for walks, they go for walkies, dog poo is discussed with probably greater enthusiasm than most people would accord it, and the dog is nearly always right – be they lobbing food off the table or nipping joggers’ ankles.

If you are not dog bonkers move further along the bookshelf. If on the other hand you are dog bonkers, and like a good laugh, stop and enjoy....this is definitely the book for you. I loved it.

[Jenny Mackinlay · Rating 1 out of 5]

HATED this book. I have dogs myself and women like Hanson are one of the banes of my existence. There is not a lot of practical difference between these helpless wets like Hanson who *apologise* for their horrible dog(s) terrorising your dog(s) and the belligerent idiots who tell you 'he only wants to play' or 'it's YOUR fault for keeping your dog on lead'. (In town? Yes, I do.) The bottom line is that your dogs have been hurt and frightened because some dog owner is an irresponsible twit. If you can't control your dog KEEP IT ON LEAD!! If you're too feeble to hold it when it gets fractious GET A DIFFERENT DOG! (Or, preferably, since you manifestly have no brain, stick to dog-shaped sofa pillows.) I don't have a lot of patience with the whole victim shtick, especially the 'but really I'm so cute' subcategory, and here you're supposed to find it FUNNY???? A few of her anecdotes were interesting but I took some issue with some of her experts, or maybe just the way she presented them. I picked the book up originally because the tag line on the front cover reads: 'If you're a dog person, you will find this completely adorable.' WRONG.

[Freda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best person I ever knew was a boxer dog. He taught me to be a better human.
And I miss him every day.

[Eryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting stories about real life situations. Although it was good that the author decided to put some unpleasant stories in the book too, it was horrifying to read what some 'dog owners' did to their dogs.. You would think that in this day and age, people would know the difference between dog training and dog abuse. Even sadder to read that dog fighting still exists,(the year she wrote the book, hopefully none now) and the people who are doing that are youngsters who think that that breed of dog is 'cool'.

This book covered anything from dog lovers, irresponsible dog owners, unreasonable non-owners to dog abuse. Pick it up if dog stories are your thing!

[Kath · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light summer reading, mildly amusing but a bit too much dog love for me especially when she laughs at dogs spoiling children's picnics and at dogs jumping up at people who don't like them.

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lighthearted, well creafted and made me laugh out loud in places.

[Weasel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read with a whole mix of stories, based around her own dogs with tangents into dogs of people she knows.

[VinnieRM]

bloomin awful